Farm wagon unloading device



Aug. 31, 1948. G. J. RECKER FARM WAGON UNLOADING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 15, 1946 MEN n [Iii/endow Ge/"a/ac/ Rae/fer Attorneys Aug. 31, 1948. RECKER. 2,448,122

FARM WAGON UI ILOADING DEVICE Filed Nov. 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Ill ado,"

g m I Gem/d 1 R /f Attorneys Patented Aug. 31, 1948 UNITED STATES 'FATENT OFFICE. Y 1 Z I 1' 2,44s,i2 2* t :j' WAGON n vrozin no DEVICE w it Gerald J. Becker, Hopklnton, Iowa Application Novem er 1e, 194.6, sir-e1 No. 710,212

. 1 Claim. (Cl.Z1483.34)

This invention relates'to farm wagon unloading devices, and more particularly to wagon unloading devices of the conveyor type.

A main'object or the invention is to provide a novel and improved farm wagon unloading device which is very simple in construction, efficient in operation and reliable in performance.

A furtherobjectcf the invention is to provide an improved farm wagon unloading device which is inexpensive to construct easy to install and which is readily adjustable to provide a desired rate of unloading of"rnaterial from a farm wagon.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following 'description'and claim, and from the accompany-"- ing drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view, with parts broken away, of a'farm wagon'equipped with an unloading device according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view partly in cross-section, of the wagon shown'in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged crosfs sectional detail view taken on line3+3 of Figure 1.

Figure '4 is an emargedcross-sectional detail view taken online 4-4 of Figure 1. s

Referring to the drawings. l I designates afarm Wagon having a floor 12, side walls l3 and M and a front end Wall 15. The rear end of sidewall E3 is provided with a vertical post l6 and the rear -end of side wall 14 is provided with asimilar Ver tical post ll. Secured'to post Hi'is'a triangular rearwardly extending plate member l8. Secured to post ii is a similar triangular rearwardly extending plate member I 9.

Journalled int he rear end portions of plate members It and IS on an axis slightly'below the "rotatively engages the inside surfaceflfofplate member i9. Clamped to tubular shaft 213 by an elongated-metal strip 23" 15a sheet 2j4 f heavy flexible material such as canveswhich is slightly smaller in width than the inside width between walls l3 and I4 and is of sufiicient length to extend forwardly over the full length of floor l2 and to be looped over the forward vertical wall l thereof, as shown in Figure 2. The forward edge of sheet 24 is formed with a loop 25 and a rigid metal tube 26 is positioned in the loop to stiffen and weight said forward edge. When tubular shaft 20 is rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed in Figure 2, sheet 24 is rolled up on said shaft,

f and any material which "is carried rearwardly thereby and rearwardly 'of the wagon.

2 is positioned on said sheet is deposited Secured to the rear edge of floor I2 is transjverse marginal angle bar 21. Pivotally mounted between plate members I8 and l9 adjacent bar 2! is a transverse angle bar 28 biased to a forward position by a spring 29. i As sheet 24 is pulled rearwardly by shaft 20 with itsload of material,

such as forage or grain, or the like, pivoted angle bar 28, provides a scraping action on the bottom surface or the sheet to aid in loosening the material therefrom.

The driving means for shaft comprises a drive shaft 30 which is adapted to be coupled to suitablefprime mover means, such as the power take-off shaft of a tractor. Shaft 30 iscoupled by auniversaljoint 3| .to an intermediate shaft 32 journalled longitudinally to the wagon frame.

Shaft 32 is coupled by a universal joint 33 to a shaft 34 journalled. in a housing 35 depending from plate member l9. Shaft 34 carries a worm 36 which meshes with a worm gear '31 carried on a shaft 38 journalled in housing 35. External'to housing 35 shaft 38 carries an eccentric cam 39.

Secured in tubular shaft 20 by a transverse bolt Ail'is a plug member 4| and secured axially in said plug member by bolt!!! is a rod 6 I. I Secured to post I"! is a rearwardly extending laterally off 6i "is r'otatively secured in the rearendportion set bracket member 42. The end portion of rod of bracket member 42 by a cotter pin' l3. 'Mounted on rod 61 adjacent bracket 42 is a spacer sleeve 44. Rotativelymounted on rod 6| adjacent spacer sleeve M. is a. ratchet wheel 45. Ratchetwheel 55v is formed with an inwardly facin collar 46 formed with radial clutch teeth 4'l.v Encircling collar 46 is a stationary bearing collar48 carried by apair of bracketmembers 49 and 50Qseoured to plate member 19. Collar 48 is formedw'ith diametricall'ylocate'd inwardly facing tapered cam iflportio-ns 5 l. Slidably mounted in the end of tubular shaft 20 is aplugv member52. Plug member 52 is keyed to rod 5| by atransverse pin 53 carried by the rod and slidably received in longitudinal keyways 54, 54 formed internally of the plug member. Plug member 52 is formed with outwardly facin clutch teeth 55 adapted to interlock with clutch teeth 41 of collar ME. A coiled spring 56 encircling rod El and bearing between plug 4! and plug member 52 biases said plug memleer 52 outwardly toward the inter-locking position of the clutch teeth. J ournalled in an annular recess formed on plug member 52 adjacent the teeth 55 is a collar member 51 having outwardly,

facing diametrically opposed tapered cam portions 58. Collar member 5! also carries a handle 59. In the position of handle 59 shown in Figure 3, the crest elements of cam portions 5| and 58 are in mutual abutment, whereby the plug 5 member 52 is moved inwardly to disengage the clutch teeth 41 and 55. By rotating handle 59 90 degrees the cam portions are permitted to nest together by the expansion of sprin 56 as it moves plug member'l 52" outwardly and steeth l'l and'55 -"ofi'lthe"appeiided claim.

interlock, coupling ratchet wheel 45 to rod 6|.

Pivoted on spacer sleeve 44 is an arm 60 which extends forwardly and carries at its forward end a roller '62 which engages the topedge surface of a gravity biased pawl member 65 whichwengages the ratchet teeth of ratchet wheel responsiveto upward movement of arm'tfl'to'rotatesaidratchet wheel through an arc of travel. This:oocurs.each

"-What' is claimed is:

An unloading apparatus for wagons having cusubstantially vertical sides and a 'flat bottom forming. an. open end, said apparatus comprising eccentric cam 39. Arm 60 alsopivotally carries support members secured to the vertical sides and vvt exterldingtfirearwardly beyond the same, a substantially horizontal rotary tubular shaft mounted 'upon'said support members and arranged in substantial alignment with said bottom,

time eccentric cam 39 rotates. The magnitude of an elongated sheet of flexible material, means .thisarc of travel is.control-led..by alever to which is pivotedadepe'nding .rod' 65 passing through a, lug carried by..arml60. --..At.the.-end of .rod '65-, is a. head 66 which cooperates. with. the

:securing one. end f said. sheet :to the u tubular .sliaft the opposite. end-.of-said" sheet being free, the body portion ofthesheet beingreceivableinpon 13116 bottomof the wagon and beneaththe load,

{aforementionedlug tolimit downward. movement g a. gear. housing .mountedwuponlone ofisaidasup- I01 arm .60. intaccordance with .the position; of. .ad-

.: ..J'ustment..of lever'64.

l-During .actuation. of shaft. 2i) by. ratchet .wheel :45 .reverse -.movement. j of -.said ratchet wheel. is

.. port members; driving. and. driven gearsarranged within the gear. housing an :ecoentric. arranged uexteriorly. of the gear housing. and. drivenibya-said ....driven gear, arelatively. stationary plug-"mounted .prevente'dby a=gravity=biased pivotedpawl mem- .in saidtu-bularshaftnearits end adjacent-to said ....bei 61. engaging. the .teethof .the. ratchet 'wheel at its. top portion; said .pawlmemberbeing carried by plate member I9.

.. Shaft 34 is provided with a pulley .68 so that .gean housing-an axial. rod .securedeto.the-relatively-staticnary plugandeXtending -axiallyoutwardv 1y beyond theend. ofthe tubular. shaft, ansaxially ...slida-b1e plug mounted .uponthetrod: and-having .1' the mechanism-may .bel.driven. if desired .by ar1 1 clutch-teeth at itsouter end, a.spring..-tobiasthe electric-motor 69 mounted below therear portion .-.fo.the wagon-end coupled by. a..belt;10 to pulley 3 583 Motor ..69..is.employed iwhere. electric power I isavailable and. is otherwise...uncoupled.irom

axially slidable plug outwardly, a rotatablev collar including. a .handle slidably. mounted upon? the axially .slidable :plug and includingaouter. tapered cam .portions, a-ratchet wheel: rotatablymounted pulley .68- when.themechanismv is. driven-by -an. ,.upon..the.rod outwardly oi-.=the. axially-slidable .external prime. mover.

'....In .operation,- lever 59. is....first...positioned as shown in Figure 3, wherebylshaftl 0. is free, and .i.-the; sheet- 24 is .positioned as shown in Figure. 2.

' plug ..and '.-.-including-:inwardly facing clutch. teeth, 2* a.stationary collarrotatably receiving the-ratchet wheel and provided with inner #tapered cam-por- .1 tions to enact with the voutertapered cam-portions ".I'Ihewagon isthenloaded. To unload the wagon .45 when said handleis-zturned, anarmpivotallynon- ...-leve'r.59 isrotat'ed-QOdegrees. from.its.ini-tial...posietion fcausingcthe clutch teeth .41 and tomterlock. The. shaft 34 is .then..rotated,. either .by manexternaLprime. mover .or .by. .the electridmotor 1,169,.causing caml39 to-rotateJl .This...oscillates .arrn; iyfimandr causes stepwise rotation.orr-atchetfwheel 45.; Sheet Q24, is thus. rolled up. on. shaft '2 ll, .mov- .E;.i ngi the. loaded material. rearwardlyjof the wagon ....and..depositing it to the rearof the roll." The rate riot-unloading may be regulated. bytheadjustment- -as within the .spirit'of the invention that .shaft'ZO may be employed to operate a movableend gate insteadfof a.sheet conveyor, in which case" the actuating .cables'rorzthe end gate would be wound on shaft"! 0" by theabove described driving mechanism. The "rearward :movement of the-'endgate. 5 ;..,2.,'355;22

.nnectedytonthe rod outwardly of the. ratchet wheel and lhavingr part sto engage the teetheof .ethe .--ratchet .wheeluto turn the: same, th freel-endmf ...the .arm. contacting the eccentric =to he -oscillated the .same, .means-to adjust the (extent ofoscil- .lation of. the:arm,.and,meansrto:drive the driving -.-...gear.

GERJLLDv J BECKER.

REFERENCES GITED Theti'ollowing references are-of I'GCOIdflIl-JZ'IIB .nfile .of. this .patent:

'il-JNIIHED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date .-.l,-141-, 861 Bausman June. 1-,.:19-15 $12,054,247 Dilgeret al. -.Sept.-15,1936 .-,-2,407 ,430 MacRae e Sept.-10,. 1 946 2340,9233 Pfeiffer etr'al --Feb..8, .-1944 .aMaHory... i-:Aug.-, 8; 4-944 

